Associate Professor
- PhD: University of Colorado, Boulder
- Postdoctoral Training: University of Missouri- Columbia
Email: emterc@missouri.edu
Phone: 573-882-4138 (office); 573-884-4259 (lab)
Research Interests
Understanding the impact of novel pharmaceutical and exercise therapeutics on the heart failure syndrome.
The focus of my research is to understand the impact of novel pharmaceutical and exercise therapeutics on the myocardium and coronary arteries of the failing heart. Specifically, current research goals include elucidating new ways to treat both heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF; a disease largely unresponsive to current standardized heart failure therapies) and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) using translational large animal models developed in my laboratory. Existing projects are utilizing gene therapy and regenerative medicine strategies in a context of preexisting comorbidities (metabolic syndrome) using preclinical swine models (Ossabaw) of experimental heart failure (aortic banding, myocardial infarction).
A further goal of this research is to garner insight into better utilizing exercise as a therapeutic modality in a translational setting of heart failure. I believe that by determining the intensity and frequency of exercise that provides benefits to heart failure patients and the cellular mechanisms underlying those beneficial changes, the laboratory can generate translational windows into new therapeutic opportunities. My laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach that integrates systemic physiologic measures with in vitro techniques to study the mechanisms and impact of pharmaceutical and exercise therapies in heart failure including catheter techniques and ultrasound (to measure cardiac and coronary vascular function in vivo), ‘-omics’-based analysis, cannulated vessel preparations, histology, biochemical assays, and patch clamping. Future goals include translation of our preclinical research models into medical practice with parallel clinical studies, and utilization of physiological inputs from the swine preclinical models to augment computational modeling of heart failure.
CURRENT PROJECTS:
Utilization of multiple translational models (swine) of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFpEF and HFrEF, respectively) for the identification of novel molecular mechanisms involved in the development of heart failure/cardiovascular disease and testing of novel therapeutic strategies in a clinically relevant large animal model. My laboratory has developed both Yucatan mini-pig and obese/diabetic Ossabaw swine models of HFpEF to address these research goals. Current projects include: 1) development of a transgenic Ossabaw swine model of smooth muscle cell BKCa β-subunit overexpression; and 2) development of an Ossabaw swine model of diabetic HFrEF.
Examination of coronary smooth muscle cell BKCa channels as a primary mechanism mediating impaired vascular/ventricular interactions in heart failure.
Examining the efficacy of a novel gene therapy (myocardial AAV transfection of non-endogenous p90 ribosomal S6 kinases [RSK3] binding domain protein) and mechanism (RSK3-muscle A-kinase anchoring protein [mAKAP] signalosome) for treating the development of heart failure with preserved ejection
Determining the efficacy of a bioabsorbable rhFSTL1*-containing collagen matrix (EpicaPatch), applied to the epicardium overlying the damaged myocardium in infarcted diabetic pigs.
Determination of the molecular mechanisms controlling myocardial fibrosis in a setting of heart failure, including examination of existing and novel imaging techniques in the diagnosis of heart failure and quantification of myocardial fibrosis.
Sex-based disparities in prevalence and development of the heart failure syndrome
Computational modeling of coronary blood flow and systemic vascular stiffness.
Determining the efficacy of DPP-IV and phosphodiesterase inhibition on cardiac remodeling and hypertrophy in heart failure.
Determining the role of increased advanced glycation end product accumulation on increased coronary vascular stiffness and related myocardial oxygen supply/demand imbalance in the development of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
Selected Publications
A full list of publications can be found here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Emter+CA
An Ouyang, T. Dylan Olver, Craig A. Emter, and Bradley S. Fleenor. Chronic exercise training prevents coronary artery stiffening in aortic-banded miniswine: Role of perivascular adipose-derived advanced glycation end products. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2019 Jul 11. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00146.2019. [Epub ahead of print] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31295062
T. Dylan Olver, Jenna C. Edwards, Thomas J. Jurrissen, Adam B. Veteto, John L. Jones, Chen Gao, Christoph Rau, Chad M. Warren, Paula J. Klutho, Linda Alex, Stephanie C. Ferreira-Nichols, Jan R. Ivey, Pamela K. Thorne, Kerry S. McDonald, Maike Krenz, Christopher P. Baines, R. John Solaro, Yibin Wang, David A. Ford, Timothy L. Domeier, Jaume Padilla, R. Scott Recto, and Craig A. Emter. Western Diet-fed, Aortic-Banded Ossabaw Swine: A Pre-Clinical Model of Cardio-Metabolic Heart Failure. Journal of the American College of Cardiology – Basic to Translational Science, 2019 June;4(3):404-421. doi: 10.1016/j.jacbts.2019.02.004 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31312763
Lauren Walsh, Thaysa Ghiarone, T. Dylan Olver, Areli Medina-Hernandez, Jenna C. Edwards, Pamela K. Thorne, Craig Emter, Jonathan R. Lindner, Camila Manrique-Acevedo, Luis Martinez-Lemus, and Jaume Padilla. Increased endothelial shear stress improves insulin-stimulated vasodilation in skeletal muscle. The Journal of Physiology, 2019 Jan;597(1):57-69. doi: 10.1113/JP277050. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30328623
Bradley S. Fleenor, An Ouyang, T. Dylan Olver, Jessica A. Hiemstra, Melissa S. Cobb, Gianmaria Minervini, and Craig A. Emter. Saxagliptin Prevents Increased Coronary Vascular Stiffness in Aortic-Banded Mini-Swine. Hypertension. 2018 Aug;72(2):466-475. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.118.10993. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29891647
Alwan G, Manring ND, Emter CA, Delafontaine P, Leary E. Studying the Sensitivity of Coronary Blood Flow Using Nondimensional Analysis. Conference Proceedings of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers – Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. 2018 Jul;2018:2349-2353. doi: 10.1109/EMBC.2018.8512777. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30440878
Olver TD, Edwards JC, Ferguson BS, Hiemstra JA, Thorne PK, Hill MA, Laughlin MH, Emter CA. Chronic Interval Exercise Training Prevents BKCa-channel Mediated Coronary Vascular Dysfunction in Aortic-Banded Mini-Swine. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2018 Apr 1;124(4):1034-1044. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00840.2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29596016
Jessica A. Hiemstra, Adam B. Veteto, Michelle D. Lambert, T. Dylan Olver, Brian S. Ferguson, Kerry S. McDonald, Craig A. Emter, and Timothy L. Domeier. Chronic low-intensity exercise attenuates cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction and impaired adrenergic responsiveness in aortic-banded mini-swine. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2018 Apr 1;124(4):1034-1044 doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00840.2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29357490
Thomas Jurrissen, T. Olver, Nathan Winn, Zachary Grunewald, Gabriela Lin, Jessica Hiemstra, Jenna Edwards, Michelle Gastecki, Rebecca Welly, Craig Emter, Victoria Vieira-Potter, Jaume Padilla. Endothelial dysfunction occurs independently of adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in ovariectomized Yucatan miniature-swine. Adipocyte, 2018 Jan 2;7(1):35-44. doi: 10.1080/21623945.2017.1405191. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29283284
Olver TD, Grunewald ZI, Jurrissen TJ, MacPherson RE, LeBlanc PJ, Schnurbusch TR, Czajkowski AM, Laughlin MH, Rector RS, Bender SB, Walters EM, Emter CA, Padilla J. Microvascular insulin resistance in skeletal muscle and brain occurs early in the development of juvenile obesity in pigs. American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 2018 Feb 1;314(2):R252-R264. doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00213.2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29141949
Kelly Lum-Naihe, Ryan Toedebusch, Abuzar Mahmood, Jamal Bajwa, Terry Carmack, Senthil A. Kumar, Sivakumar Ardhanari, Vincent G. DeMarco, Craig A. Emter, & Lakshmi Pulakat. Cardiovascular disease progression in female Zucker Diabetic Fatty rats occurs via unique mechanisms compared to males. Scientific Reports, 2017 Dec 7:17823. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-18003-8 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29259233
Dylan Olver, Jessica A. Hiemstra, Jenna C. Edwards, Todd R. Schachtman, Cheryl M. Heesch, Paul J. Fadel, M. Harold Laughlin, and Craig A. Emter. The loss of female sex hormones exacerbates cerebrovascular and cognitive dysfunction in aortic-banded mini-swine through a NPY-BKCa-NO mediated mechanism. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2017 Oct 31;6(11). pii: e007409. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.007409. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29089345
Hanft LM, Emter CA, McDonald KS. Cardiac myofibrillar contractile properties during the progression from hypertension to decompensated heart failure. American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology, 2017 Jul 1; 313(1): H103-H113. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.00069.2017. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28455288
Olver TD, McDonald MW, Klakotskaia D, Richardson RA, Jasperse JL, Melling CW, Schachtman TR, Yang HT, Emter CA, Laughlin MH. A chronic physical activity treatment in obese rats normalizes the contributions of ET-1 and NO to insulin-mediated posterior cerebral artery vasodilation. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2017 Apr 1; 122(4): 1040-1050.
doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00811.2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28183819
Dylan Olver, Jessica A. Hiemstra, Jenna C. Edwards, Brian S. Ferguson, M. Harold Laughlin, and Craig A. Emter. The protective role of sex hormones in females and exercise prehabilitation in males on sternotomy-induced cranial hypoperfusion in aortic-banded mini-swine. Journal of Applied Physiology, 2017 Mar 1;122(3):423-429.
doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00817.2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27909230
Dylan Olver, Diana Klakotskaia, Brian S. Ferguson, Jessica A. Hiemstra, Todd R. Schachtman, M. Harold Laughlin, and Craig A. Emter. Carotid artery vascular mechanics serve as biomarkers of cognitive dysfunction in aortic-banded mini-swine that can be treated with an exercise intervention. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2016; 5: e003248 doi:10.1161/JAHA.116.003248 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27207966
Jessica A. Hiemstra, Dong I. Lee, Khalid Chakir, Manuel Gutiérrez-Aguilar, Kurt D. Marshall, Pamela J. Zgoda, Noelany Cruz Rivera, Daniel G. Dozier, Brian S. Ferguson, Denise M. Heublein, John C. Burnett, Carolin Scherf, Jan R. Ivey, Gianmaria Minervini, Kerry S. McDonald, Christopher P. Baines, Maike Krenz, Timothy L. Domeier, and Craig A. Emter. Saxagliptin and Tadalafil Differentially Alter cGMP Signaling and Left Ventricular Function in Aortic-Banded Mini-Swine. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2016; 5: e003277 doi:10.1161/JAHA.116.003277 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27098966
Kapiloff MS and Emter CA. The cardiac enigma: current conundrums in heart failure research. F1000Research 2016, 5(F1000 Faculty Rev):72 (doi: 10.12688/f1000research.7278.1)
Kerry S. McDonald and Craig A. Emter. Exploring New Concepts in the Management of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Is Exercise the Key for Improving Treatment? Journal of Applied Physiology, July 2015. DOI:10.1152/japplphysiol.00570.2015. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26229001
Jessica A. Hiemstra, Manuel Gutiérrez-Aguilar, Kurt D. Marshall, Kyle S. McCommis, Pamela J. Zgoda, Noelany Cruz-Rivera, Nathan T. Jenkins, Maike Krenz, Timothy L. Domeier, Christopher P. Baines, & Craig A. Emter. A New Twist on an Old Idea Part 2: Cyclosporine Preserves Normal Mitochondrial but not Cardiomyocyte Function in Mini-Swine with Compensated Heart Failure. Physiol Rep, 2 (6), 2014, e12050, doi:14814/phy2.12050. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24963034
Jessica A. Hiemstra, Songtao Liu, Mark A. Ahlman, Karl H. Schuleri, Albert C. Lardo, PhD, Christopher P. Baines, Kevin C. Dellsperger, David A. Bluemke, and Craig A. Emter. A New Twist on an Old Idea: A 2-Dimensional Speckle Tracking Assessment of Cyclosporine as a Therapeutic Alternative for Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction. Physiol Rep, 1 (7), 2013, e00174, doi: 10.1002/phy2.174 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24744855
Kurt D. Marshall, Brittany N. Muller, Maike Krenz, Laurin M Hanft, Kerry S. McDonald, Kevin C. Dellsperger, and Craig A. Emter. Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction: Chronic Low-Intensity Interval Exercise Training Preserves Myocardial O2 Balance and Diastolic Function. J Appl Physiol, 114: 131-147, 2013. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23104696
Emter CA, Tharp DL, Ivey JR, Ganjam VK, and Bowles DK. Low-Intensity Interval Exercise Training Attenuates Coronary Vascular Dysfunction and Preserves Ca2+-sensitive K+ Current in Miniature Swine with LV Hypertrophy. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 301: H1687-H1694, 2011. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21841018
Emter CA and Baines, CP. Low-Intensity Aerobic Interval Training Attenuates Pathological Left Ventricular Remodeling and Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Aortic-Banded Miniature Swine. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, 299: H1348-H1356, 2010. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20817828
Adam J. Chicco, Sylvia A. McCune, Craig A. Emter, Genevieve C. Sparagna, Meredith L. Rees, David A. Bolden, Kurt D. Marshall, Russell L. Moore. Low-Intensity Exercise Training Delays Heart Failure and Improves Survival in Female Hypertensive Heart Failure Rats. Hypertension, 51: 1096-1102, 2008. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18259016
Emter CA, McCune SA, Sparagna GC, Radin MJ, and Moore RL. Low-Intensity Exercise Training Delays the Onset of Decompensated Heart Failure in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Heart Failure (SHHF) Rat. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol289: H2030-H2038, 2005. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15994855